The Malaysian Insight

EVEN Pakatan Harapan politicians capitalise on Malays’ fears and insecurities to suit their agenda, Latheefa Koya told a forum in Penang last night.

The Lawyers for Liberty executive director, who is a member of PKR, said leaders from her own party, too, have played up such insecurities.

Speaking from her experience as a PKR activist since 1998, Latheefa said the question of how to win Malay voters’ support in general elections is always on the agenda of party discussions.

There are always party leaders who regard themselves as experts speaking for Malays, she said.

“We have people who claim to be experts on the Malay sentiment and community. They would raise issues regarding Malay insecurities.

“This is not done just by PAS. Our own party leadership does that, too, when it works for them. When it doesn’t work, they say Malays must be more open and so on.

“It depends on the political climate and each politician,” she said at the Post-Transition Malay-Muslims: Where are They Headed? forum at Penang Institute.

The forum saw Latheefa, along with Malay Mail ProjekMM editor Fathi Aris Omar, Ilham Centre research head and fellow Dr Mohd Yusri Ibrahim, and Penang Institute political studies fellow Dr Wong Chin Huat, discussing the findings of a study by Ilham Centre on what Malay-Muslims think of post-14th general election political developments.

The study looked at how Malay-Muslim voters, who took part in focus-group discussions from October 21 to November 21 last year, felt about the change of government, economy, position of Bahasa Malaysia, appointment of non-Muslims to important government posts, child marriage, and issues of morality and sin.

Among its key findings was that rural Malay-Muslims distrusted the PH government, mainly due to doubts on whether the ruling pact is able to defend the rights and privileges of Malays, and the position of Islam.

Latheefa said this comes as no surprise because despite the media being freer now, news outlets still report the views of the “same so-called ‘experts’” on economic, constitutional and religious issues.

“The media is more open now, which means we can discuss these issues in the media. But are we doing that?”

The outspoken lawyer cited the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) as an example.

“How was it discussed in the media? There was no discussion, no alternative narrative to explain ICERD.

“We can blame PAS and (party president Abdul) Hadi (Awang), and say they were wrong. But they were only voicing their views,” she said, referring to how the Islamist outfit and its leaders led the objection to the government’s initial plan to ratify ICERD last year.

“What was PH’s view? The PH leadership – the government itself – and its politicians played up the same issue, saying ICERD was unsuitable, repeating the same insecurities.”

She said there are PH leaders who liked raising matters related to Bahasa Malaysia, making it appear as if there are plans to sideline the national language.

“When the leadership says such things, you are creating shadows and insecurities.”

At a time when the opposition is at its weakest, she said, individual politicians with insecurity issues are the ones stopping PH from moving forward.

Citing the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple issue as an example, she said the word “riot” should not have been used as it was a legal tussle over land.

“But politicians themselves acted inappropriately, creating the wrong image. Indian MPs felt they had to answer, but why?

“Who told the unity minister, and Indian MPs and ministers to make statements on the issue? To me, you created your own problem, and it got you nowhere.

“This issue was the same as ICERD, which could have been tackled if they wanted to. But did we want to?”

The forum was moderated by Penang Institute researcher Mohd Izzuddin Ramli. – January 5, 2019.